PITTSBURGH — For a player who has appeared in at least 156 games each of the past 10 seasons, it was an unusual decision.

But Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez said he benched himself.

On the flight Thursday to Pittsburgh, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told Gonzalez he planned to give him a day off during the four-game series at PNC Park. But after an 0-for-4 night Saturday dropped his batting average for June to .183, Gonzalez said he told Roberts maybe two days off would be better.

“I thought it would be good for me to not think about hitting for two days,” Gonzalez said.

More than any theories about defensive shifts or questions about his back troubles, Gonzalez said that has been the root of his problem over the past few weeks — he’s thinking too much.

“That’s the thing — I don’t have one approach. I’ve had 800 approaches,” he said. “Four hundred have been to pull and 400 have been to go the other way.

“Every at-bat has been a grind. I’m thinking about where my feet are, what my hands are doing. Then, before you know it, the ball’s by me. … I’ve just been fighting myself, more than anything. It’s been a case of me trying to do too much.”

Since receiving an epidural injection for back pain about three weeks ago, Gonzalez said he has physically felt “great” — which has made his mental struggles only worse.

“I think that might be the way I’m pressing,” he said. “Because I’m feeling so good, I feel like I should be doing good. When I was just worrying about how to get comfortable without my back hurting, I would just see the ball and swing.”

Gonzalez’s slump has hardly left him in a dark mood. He arrived at the ballpark for the Dodgers’ travel day Monday wearing a custom-made traditional Mexican charro suit featuring silver baseballs and topped with a sombrero. For the second consecutive day, he entered the game as a pinch-hitter and played the last few innings, even getting a single in Monday’s game.

Back pain for Kershaw

Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw has been receiving treatment for lower back stiffness, but Roberts said he doesn’t consider it a major issue.

“He’s been dealing with that for a few weeks. I don’t think it affected him last night,” Roberts said. “But today he came in a little sore. Still got through his post-start workout. It’s day to day, but I think he’ll be ready for his next start.”

The Dodgers gave all of their starters an extra day’s rest before this time through the rotation. But Kershaw gave up four runs in the second inning Sunday night — more runs than he had allowed in 25 of his previous 26 starts — and failed to complete seven innings for only the second time this season.

His next scheduled start is Friday at Dodger Stadium against the Colorado Rockies.

Back in form for Puig

When Yasiel Puig went on the disabled list for nearly three weeks earlier this month, the Dodgers were hopeful the time off would be good for more than his hamstring.

Puig has returned with a “cleaner swing,” Roberts said, and the results have shown. Puig is 8 for 23 (.348) with three multi-hit games in his first six since returning from the DL.

“I think he’s really making a concerted effort — which sounds crazy — on just seeing the baseball,” Roberts said. “Before he went on the disabled list, he was kind of chasing hits. He’s kind of reset. He’s slowing things down and, like we’ve talked about all year, taking balls and swinging at strikes. I think he’s doing a better job of that.”

Fifth starter?

Roberts said the Dodgers are still not ready to name Wednesday’s starter.

“We still haven’t gained any ground on that,” he said. “We’re still thinking through some things.”

Right-hander Brock Stewart has emerged as the most likely candidate. A sixth-round pick out of Illinois State two years ago, Stewart has progressed through three levels of the Dodgers’ farm system this year, going a combined 8-3 with a 1.47 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 99 strikeouts in 86 innings.

Bill Plunkett has covered everything from rodeo to Super Bowls to boxing (yeah, I was there the night Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield's ear off) during a career that started far too long ago to mention and eventually brought him to the OC some time last century (1999 actually). He has been covering Major League Baseball for the Orange County Register since 2003, spending time on both the Angels and Dodgers beats.

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